Hair drier



April 28, 1942. D. c. HUDSON HAIR DRIER Jill/avatar on, de ceased a/wr C.

Original Filed April 17 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 HAIR DRIER Dwight 0. Hudson, deceased, late of Chicago, 111., by Eleanor 0. Hudson, administratrix, Chicago, 111.

Original application April 17, 1937, Serial No.

137,543. Divided and this application February 13, 1939, Serial No. 256,130

t Claims.

The present invention relates to hair driers and to certain novel features of construction thereof, and the application is a division of the co-pending application of Dwight C. Hudson,'Serial No. 137,543, filed April 17, 1937, for Hair driers, the disclosure of which is hereby specifically incorporated in the present application.

Very often in streamlining beauticians equipment to provide modern effects in beauty parlors, the shape and contour of such articles as hair driers presents many dif iculties from a technical and structural viewpoint. The desire for a single shell effect having curved lines makes it necessary to provide for full access to the mechanical parts through a single opening.

In the present invention full access to and the removal of a large working unit is had through the opening of a tear drop shaped main shell at its largest diameter or dimension and a removable and replaceable head receiving section is fitted into the opening and so designed as to continue, without appreciable interruption, the tear drop design of the main shell.

Moreover the replaceability of the head receiving section mentioned adapts the working mechanism in the main shell for use with sections accommodating various head sizes and coiffures.

A further object of the invention resides in the interchangeability of head receiving sections having baffles and deflectors therein for providing a variety and variation in the combination of air circulation, heat and static pressure factors to achieve various and improved results in the effectiveness of hair driers and the comfort 0 patrons.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for ready assemblage and disassemblage of the mechanical and cooperating units of hair driers which are economical to manufacture, thoroughly effective in use, and comprise a single shell of two part construction simple to make and assemble.

These being among the objects of the present invention, other and further objects will appear from the drawing, the description relating to the drawing and the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view which will be used in explaining the theory, the operation and the structural characteristics relating to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a preferred form of the invention, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow.

The hair drier, illustrated for purposes of disclosing and describing the preferred form of the invention in compliance with Section 4888 of the Revised Statutes, comprises an ovate casing I 0 of approximately tear drop design made up of a rear shell or hood I l and a front shell I2 joined along a line of severance located at the largest diameter. The two parts are united by a band l3 welded to the front shell I2 and secured in telescoping relation with the rear shell by screws l4, whereby the edges of the shells abut with flush outer surfaces at the point of largest diameter. Both shells are spun in sheet metal to a smooth contour and enamelled or chromed to simulate a unitary housing.

The front shell is one of many designed for interchangeability, and provided with a large opening l5 of any one of several different sizes adapted to receive different head sizes. The margin of the opening is spun inwardly to give the shell a finished and thick appearance.

The power unit and blower mechanism [5 is fitted in the rear shell ll before the front shell I2 is secured in place. To permit this, the outer dimension of the power mechanism may be either slightly less than the opening into which the band I3 is inserted or greatly less or of a predetermined contour to permit deeper location on the tapering contour of the rear shell. By securing the band I3 to the front shell l2 the size of the unit [6 may be the exact size of the opening if need be.

The power unit and blower mechanism It comprise a motor IT, a centrifugal blower IS,

a pair of heaters l9 and other suitable elements mounted upon a supporting element or pan 211 having an axial opening 2| clearing the shaft 22 of the motor. The motor is mounted on the support 20 by bolts 23 and nuts 24 and 25 which compress a rubber vibration dampener 26 therebetween intermediate the associated metal parts.

The shaft 22' of the motor engages the hub 28 of the fan l8 and is secured thereto by a set screw 29. The fan revolves clockwise as viewed from the front so that air propelled thereby swirls inside the casing If! as indicated by arrows in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the dotted arrows indicate movement of the air above the sectional plane of the drawing and the continuous arrows indicate movement below the sectional plane.

Adjacent to the mouth of the motor support 20 are a plurality of right angle brackets 32, each of which has a leg welded to the motor support 20 and another leg extending inwardly to support a flat ring 33 secured, to it by screws 34. A screen 35 is supported on the ring 33 with the aid of metal straps 36 which are welded to the ring, these straps also being used to support the heater elements 31 and 38, positioned on opposite sides of the hub 28 in the path of air entering the intake 30 of the blower 18. Thus, the filter screen, the heater and the air circulating means may be assembled and ad-v justed as a unit on the support 20 and attached or detached as such in the rear shell II by a plurality of screws 39 inserted from the outside and some of which pass through the swivel 40 which constitutes the sole support for the casing Hi. In this way production assembly costs are minimized and the main heavy and moving parts are supported directly by the standard and swivel 40 although located inside the casing l9.

A plurality of air returners or deflectors 4| are interiorly mounted within the front shell H! at an angle and reclined to the direction of the air stream. There the deflectors are located each in a plane inclined to the mean axis of the swirling air movement and to the casing in a way deflecting the air striking them rearwardly and centrally of the front shell i2. Thus, the returned air is driven into vaporizing and drying contact with the coifiure oi a person held partly or wholly within the confines of the front shell.

The deflectors 4| preferably are stamped from sheet steel, or may be formed of other suitable material, such as a plastic, which when heated and is touched does not feel as as steel. Where sheet material is used, the deflectors are flanged as at 13 and Mi for welded securement to the front shell 12; otherwise where plastics are used the deflectors may be made thick enough at their bases to receive screws therein, in which case in some installation the shell 52 may be slotted so that the angle of the deflectors may be varied for various exigencies so long as the angle of reclination operates to deflect air rea-rwardly and centrally.

The inner edges of the deflectors are turned over as at '85 in order to provide a smooth edge and the upper edges of the deflectors are beveled as at 5E5 in order to allow the swirling air to reach far down upon the scalp before impinging upon the defiectors. The height of the deflectors is as desired, and in installations where the height of the deflectors for any one person is an important factor, several front shells I2 having deflectors of different heights or angles may be furnished for interchangeability on the rear shell, as already mentioned.

In operation, air is forced outwardly through the blades 3! of the blower !8 to produce an air stream which swirls around the shell spirally towards the deflectors. A certain quantity of fresh air is drawn into the air stream from the outside through openings 41 in the rear of the rear shell II, this fresh air passing over the motor I? for cooling it. The blower i3 is of a capacity that it in and of itself produces a static pressure within the shell whenever a person's head is located within the confines of the front shell opening. Due to this large capacity of the blower the air turbulence is very great and the deflection of air inwardly over the scalp and rearwardly is of such magnitude as to contribute greatly to the speed at which hair may be dried.

With the high turbulence thus created, the heated air is not in contact long enough with the hair at any one time for it to absorb moisture to its full capacity. The rearward deflection of the air forces the air to recirculate again and again, each time acquiring a higher temperature and thereby an increased moisture capacity, and absorbing more and more moisture per unit of volume. Humidity, of course, is instantaneously equalized in a volume of air and thus, as the air gradually escapes from the casing l0, it is fully laden with moisture. The repeated recirculation also enables economies to be practiced in the heating unit, the acquired temperature of the air not being lost after a single contact with the air but only after many times repeated contact.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention and having indicated, on the drawing, a few dimensions to show desirable relationships in the sizes, shapes and position of the parts, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that. various changes; such as forming the casing of longitudinally severed halves, can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hair drier comprising an elongated ovoid shell having an opening at one end large enough to receive the head of a person whose hair is to be dried, and an air circulating and heating unit removably mounted in said shell near the other end thereof, said unit being larger than said opening and said shell being formed in two parts removably joined together on a line extending around said shell between said unit and said opening where the cross sectional area of said shell is larger than said opening and is at least as large as said unit.

2. A hair drier comprising a hemi-ovoid shell portion, a supporting member having a seat bearing against one side of said shell portion, an air heating and circulating unit within said shell r portion and having a portion bearing on the inv to said first portion and forming therewith a smooth rounded surface.

3. A hair drier comprising a supporting bracket having a seat, a shell resting on said seat, an air heating and circulating unit located within said. shell and having a supporting member bearing on the inside of said shell in the location of said supporting seat, and removable screws extending through said shell and into said supporting member from said supporting seat.

4. A hair drier comprising a supporting bracket, an air heating and circulating unit fixed to and carried by said bracket, and a shell enclosing said unit and having a portion clamped between said unit and said bracket and supported thereby.

ELEANOR C. HUDSON, Administmt-ria: 0] the Estate of Dwight C. Hudson, Deceased. 

